The Goonies
1985 · Directed by Richard Donner
Original language: English
- adventure
- comedy
- family
The story
Young teen Mikey Walsh and his friends set off on a quest to find Pirate One-Eyed Willie's treasure in hopes of saving their homes from demolition. However, on their quest to find the treasure, they run into a family of recently escaped criminals, determined to capture the kids and reach the treasure first.
What it’s like
Bright, sun-faded Pacific Northwest light gives way to cramped, cobwebbed tunnels lit by flashlight beams and a flickering match, with the 1980s look of warm film grain, saturated primary colors, and rough-hewn practical sets: a pirate ship's rigging, a booby-trapped cavern, a water slide that plunges into a dark grotto. The camera moves with the kids, tracking them through bikes-and-sneakers suburban streets and then tumbling into the chaos of the caves, while John Williams' bouncy, brassy adventure score keeps the energy up. The vibe is rambunctious, nostalgic, and goofy, the kind of fun that feels like a sleepover that got out of hand. The pace is brisk and episodic, with running jokes, slapstick, and a gang of mismatched kids whose loyalty to one another is the emotional center. Violence is cartoonish and mostly comic, with some scuffles, a few gunshots and fists, and a sinister crime family who menace without real gore; scares are mild and playful rather than frightening. Suited to a comfort rewatch, a family movie night, or a lazy weekend afternoon, it's for people who want wholesome, funny adventure with a nostalgic glow and no real cruelty.
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